This week I had the opportunity to go into Jockey Club Primary School to observe an English lesson with the Grade 5 class with whom I will be working. There are 32 pupils in the class and the overall ability of the class is generally very good. I was particularly surprised by how well-spoken and confident the students were in their use of the English language. The range of ability differs however, from those students who are fluent in their English skills to some who have only recently moved to Hong Kong from Mainland China and as a result have very little experience using English. The catchment area of the school is a mix between children who come from very well off backgrounds and those from poorer backgrounds which predictably has an effect on how fluent the children are in English.
Surprisingly, teachers in Hong Kong do not differentiate the lessons and instead teach to the 'average' of the class which is a big contrast to the way we have been trained back home. There is a big emphasis on teachers back in Northern Ireland to take into account the needs of every individual within the classroom, not only the needs of lower ability pupils or those with special educational needs but the higher ability children (who are often overlooked) also need to be challenegd and stimulated so that they do not lose interest and become disengaged. Consequently when I am planning my lessons I still intend to carefully consider how to help both the weaker and the stronger students in developing their English skills. Particular attention will have to be paid to the oral skills of the weaker students because the class teacher told me that they naturally try to avoid speaking English as they lack confidence in answering questions in front of their peers. My class teacher also explained that when teaching an English lesson the key is to ensure that you get every child actively involved and make certain that you provide opportunities for the students to practice their English speaking skills as much as possible. When I was observing the lesson, I noticed the teacher had a small area on the board where the class was divided into specific areas and as she was asking questions or trying to get the students involved she kept a tally. With a class of 32, this meant that the teacher knew that everyone in the class was participating in and contributing to the lesson. I thought this was a good way of monitoring input from the pupils because sometimes it can be an easy option for teachers to just let the stronger pupils answer the questions and forget about the weaker pupils who are not engaged in the lesson.
During this week I also completed my first assignment which was a validity analysis of an assessment tool that we created as a group. I particularly enjoyed this module and feel that it was extremely relevant and beneficial in my professional development since assessment is at the heart of being a modern teacher. In the old days, teachers taught and central examination authorities assessed. Teachers did not really have to know about or become involved in the assessment process. All that was required was to be able to mimic public examinations so that students experienced school assessment as preparation for exams. Nowadays however, teachers are obligated to collect evidence and exercise interpretive judgement about student learning. Having completed this module, I now feel much more competent in designing, administering, selecting and interpreting assessments properly. I am confident that I can design my own assessments and understand how to create a ‘valid’ and useful assessment tool which will benefit both the teacher and students in evaluating and improving their effectiveness and learning respectively.
On Saturday the international students went on an organised trip to Cheung Chau (meaning ‘Long Island’ in English) which is one of the surrounding islands near to Hong Kong (a half-hour boat journey). Traditionally the island was a fishing village and there are still fishing fleets working from the harbour. However in recent years the island has become a major tourist attraction, offering a mixture of sandy swimming beaches, seafood cafes, and traditional Chinese culture. At Cheung Chau we shared some lovely seafood and I managed to force myself to try some fresh octopus, crab and fried squid! After going for a hike last week I decided this time to relax and try to get a bit of a tan at the beach!
The weather in the past week has been amazing with temperatures hitting 30°C and not a cloud in the sky. Unfortunately, the humidity is starting to pick up and it is now very warm at night time requiring the air conditioning to be put on in my room as I am finding it difficult to get to sleep. The international students gathered together last night again for another barbeque because a lot of students are beginning to go travelling as classes have finished and only assignments need to be completed. I also had to go into Central a couple of times this week to get my visa for Vietnam as we are going to Hanoi next week. This is something I am really to looking forward to and I will keep you updated about the trip.
Following my visit to Jockey Club Primary School, I am starting my teaching placement there this week so I will let you know how I get on in my next blog.
Until next time...
Joi Gin (Goodbye)
Michael
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